2017 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race car unveiled

The new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup has been unveiled at the 2016 Paris motor show ahead of the 2017 racing season.

The new GT3 Cup features a naturally aspirated 4.0-litre flat-six engine out the back that generates 357kW of power. According to Porsche, the engine has been tweaked to deliver “better durability” and “reduced maintenance costs” with rigidly mounted rocker arms, a central oil feed, an oil centrifuge, and a more rigid crankshaft.

Using the the facelifted 911 as its starting point, the latest GT3 Cup features improved traction and downforce. That’s thanks mainly to a new front bumper design and remodelled rear end, which utilises a carry-over 1840mm wide rear wing.

The GT3 Cup rides on 18-inch one-piece wheels fitted with 270mm Michelin racing slicks up front, and 310mm rubber at the rear.

As you’d expect from a racing special, the 911 GT3 Cup features a stripped out, bare-bones interior. In addition to the obligatory safety cage, the race car features bucket seats, and a larger escape hatch in the roof.

Combined with a composite aluminium-steel body, the GT3 Cup tips the scales at just 1200 kilograms.

The new 911 GT3 Cup will hit tracks in anger during the 2017 racing season, although initially it will only be available to participants in the German Carrera Cup competition and Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, which acts as a prelude to the main Formula One races.

In 2018, the GT3 Cup will be available to racers in other competitions. Since Porsche introduced the 911 GT3 Cup in 1998, the company has produce 3031 units of the race car.